Festival of Sextes Jylis

Time: Annual, 13th to 15th days of Resplendent Wood.

Location: Realm-wide

Host: Immaculate Order

Invitations: Public

Theme and Activity: This festival is a celebration of the Immaculate Dragon of Wood, Sextes Jylis. The inhabitants of the Realm, from Dynast to peasant, wear clothes (or, in the case of the poor, scraps of cloth tied in hair or as armbands) displaying shades of green and sometimes imagery of plants and flowers.

The first day of the Festival is traditionally a day of mass prayers (not only to the Elemental Dragon of Wood, but to numerous other deities scheduled to receive their due on this day according to the Prayer Calendar) and reflection on how one might emulate the Wood Immaculate and refrain from approximating the Inconsiderate Horseman, taking place at all Immaculate temples and shrines regardless of individual leaning. Monks will walk the streets to gather crowds and read tales of the Wood Dragon from the Immaculate Texts.

The second day (14 Resplendent Wood, the ‘Apex’) is traditionally a day of parades and open celebration, where aspects of Wood are encouraged to flare their animas in public. At dawn, a parade of Immaculate monks leaves each temple, carrying green lanterns and placards displaying relevant quotes from the Immaculate texts. These monks chant the hymns of Sextes Jylis as they walk through the streets of their towns and cities, scattering seeds behind them. Though not sanctioned by the Order, there is a belief that those who ensure such seeds are properly planted in soil will receive the blessing of the Wood Dragon.

Traditionally on the final day of the Festival, households gather together for the evening meal, attempting to outdo each other in preparing great feasts that exceed their ability to consume. At night, Immaculate monks walk the streets and gather up all the leftover food, bringing it to their temples where an open feast is held for the poor and downtrodden.